art, artist, painter, profile

The Inspiring Work of LA Artist Calvin Clausell Jr.

Growing up in Los Angeles, art has always been first for Calvin. From childhood he found himself sketching every chance he got. Loving the idea of bringing life to paper, he gravitated towards charcoal and graphite. Teaching himself shading techniques by observing human expression and emotion. He began oil painting after reading the book “The […]

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all, art, artist, photography

The Magical Photography of Awuku Darko Samuel

Born in 1997, Awuku Darko Samuel is a conceptual photographer from Suhum, Ghana. He Began studying visual arts when he was in Senior High school, which he graduated from in 2017. He borrowed smartphones from friends to take photos until he was gifted with his own. He began to explore photography and various mediums in […]

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all, art, artist, event, painter, profile

The Captivating Works of Uzo Njoku

Uzo Njoku’s works rejoice in unions despite her subjects being mostly isolate. Her paintings are a fusion of fine art and design and celebrate the blend of her Nigerian- American cultural upbringing. Njoku, with skill and a considered softness, creates another harmonious alliance between the human bodies present and the decorative. Once deeply informed by […]

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all, art, artist, photography, profile

Dawoud Bey: Photography and The Black Subject

Since the mid-1970s, Dawoud Bey (b. 1953) has worked to expand upon what photography can and should be. Insisting that it is an ethical practice requiring collaboration with his subjects, he creates poignant meditations on visibility, power, and race. Bey chronicles communities and histories that have been largely underrepresented or even unseen, and his work lends renewed […]

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all, art, article, artist, FILM, profile, video

Garrett Bradley’s “America” –Disrupting The Symbols and Iconography Of How America is Defined!

According to the Library of Congress, around 70 percent of all feature-length films made in the US between 1912 and 1929 no longer exist. In America (2019), artist and filmmaker Garrett Bradley imagines Black figures from the early decades of the 20th century whose lives have been lost to history. A multichannel video installation, it […]

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all, art, artist

Nigerian Artist Peter Uka’s Work is Bold, Bright and Expansive

Peter Uka’s (b.1975, Nigeria; based in Cologne, Germany) classical training in realistic figuration, images from his memory, are nostalgic, and simultaneously convey innate and timeless human emotion, breathing depth into dynamic portrayals. Scenes of growing up in Nigeria, the bright mannerisms and local customs are all captured in vibrant, visual narrative. Compositions also capture international […]

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all, art, FILM, poem, poetry, writer

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME

First published in 2015, Between The World And Me was written as a letter to Coates’ teenage son, and recounts the author’s experiences growing up in Baltimore’s inner city and his growing fear of daily violence against the Black community. The narrative explores Coates’ bold notion that American society structurally supports white supremacy. Based on the 2018 […]

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art, article, artist

Segun Aiyesan –A Powerful Nigerian Artist

The self-taught artist relies on his spirituality, ability to be observant & experimental, as well as a liberal perspective of society and the world. Inspired by a curiosity and desire to understand the world that surrounds him, Segun has developed a point of view of the human condition that ranges from the mundane to the […]

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Black Like Me — Paintings by Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe

Hailing from Ghana, Quaicoe’s lush and luminous oil paintings of black men and women, some strangers he encounters on the street or on social media, many others, friends and colleagues, stand as visual testaments to the resilience, power and strength inherent in African culture. His portraits reveal the complexities of human experience with both a […]

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all, art, event, fashion

Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century –September 27, 2019 – March 1, 2020 CAAM

In celebration of the pioneering apparel line and its enduring legacy, the California African American Museum has mounted an exhibit that chronicles the brand’s 30-year history: Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century. The show, jointly curated by Tyree Boyd-Pates, history curator and program manager, and Taylor Bythewood-Porter, assistant history curator, features original design […]

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Dave McClinton is a Visual Communicator

In the African American community, we are slowly rediscovering our history that has not been fully illustrated. It’s my job as a visual communicator to review historical information and inform the community by bringing these concepts to life and help visually define our identity. And to distribute these stories about the strengths and trials of the […]

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all, art, article, artist, illustration, profile

Tim Fielder is Visual Afrofuturism, Pulp Entertainment, and Action Films

Tim Fielder is an Illustrator, concept designer, cartoonist, and animator born and raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He has a lifelong love of Visual Afrofuturism, Pulp entertainment, and action films. He has worked over the years in the storyboarding, film visual development, gaming, comics, and animation industries for clients as varied as Marvel Comics, The Village […]

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all, art, article, artist, FILM, photography

“Black Mother,” the new film by Khalik Allah is an audio-visual love letter to Jamaica

Part film, part baptism, in Black Mother director Khalik Allah brings us on a spiritual journey through Jamaica. Soaking up its bustling metropolises and tranquil countryside, Allah introduces us to a succession of vividly rendered souls who call this island home. Their candid testimonies create a polyphonic symphony, set against a visual prayer of indelible […]

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